Galbraith/Pre-Design, Inc. Design Build Construction Blog

24th July, 2019 Mark Galbraith Medical

From facility construction to wearing PPE, ways to protect against infection

According to the CDC, one out of every 20 patients will develop a Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI). Annually, these infections specifically are contracted by 1.7 million patients and cause 99,000 deaths. There are financial burdens as well, with an estimated $35.7 to $45 billion in expenses for these infections.

This is a problem everybody in the healthcare industry needs to be aware of. Whether you’re a patient, provider, nurse, physician, janitor, or construction and design-build, understanding HAIs, and how to prevent them is essential to reducing their incredibly adverse effects.

How Infections Spread

With powers like invisibility, speed, and a proper environment, HAIs can be tough to defeat. But knowing their stages of spreading can help provide opportunities to stop them in their tracks.

The spreading of infections can start with an agent, like a bacteria, virus, etc., that is developed inside of a reservoir, such as another person, piece of equipment, or even water.

The agent leaves the reservoir through a portal of exit, and the way the transmission functions depends on the type of infection. Contact with the skin, particular bodily fluids/matters, or even inhalation can be examples of transfer processes for HAIs. Make sure you understand the specific characteristics of each of these infections to be prepared for preventing or dealing with any of them exclusively.

The agent finds a portal of entry for its next susceptible host, and the cycle begins again.

The most common ways to break this chain of infection include:

The reservoir’s environment is changed in a way that it can no longer support the infectious agent, eliminating or inactivating it.
The portal of exit is highly monitored with standard precautions (in further detail below).
Transmission is prevented entirely with standard precautions.
The portal of entry is protected by safe care in that area.
Recognizing and identifying high-risk patients and reducing their susceptibility to HAIs.

Design and Construction Planning to Prevent Infection

Standard precautions such as hand hygiene, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), injection safety, proper environmental cleaning, injection safety, and respiratory hygiene are common precautions that exist in healthcare facilities as guidelines to break the chain of infection. So, how do facility planning, design, and construction play a role in proactively reducing infections in healthcare facilities? The often-overlooked fact is that the physical (built) environment of a healthcare facility, such as hospitals can be directly linked to overall human health.

Healthcare organizations and the construction companies who are building the facility have an obligation to patients, visitors and staff to ensure the facility is designed to be open, accessible and a safe environment for the public with proper controls in place to reduce the spread of infection. When designing a healthcare building, it’s imperative to make a decision based on the following factors besides cost.

Facilities and systems are designed around handling hazardous materials and waste
The facility and environment are secure and safe
Proper ventilation to ensure infection doesn’t spread
Construction of emergency areas for appropriate management of these situations
Built to provide fire safety protection
Strength of the construction material
If an existing building where renovations are being considered, the overall health of the facility should be accessed
Proper environmental protection
Energy savings
Durability for the building
Utilization rate to ensure the building is design to accommodate the population being served
Built-in flexibility to expand or redesign based on population or healthcare demand
Infection control location to isolate the issue

Healthcare facilities are complex and need to be used for a vast array of services and procedures. As a visitor to a hospital, we often do not think of all of the specialized areas of a hospital or clinics like high use areas, circulation areas, wards, specialized theaters, and hazardous material areas. Choosing the proper materials and finishes for these areas is critical to the overall planning. All of this can pose a challenge during the planning phase for a new building or renovation as planning needs to ensure the facility can solve for new and emerging infectious diseases.

Overcoming Barriers and Working Towards a Better Future

Infection control within a healthcare facility is critical. It is the little things that matter the most, but unfortunately, compliance with these standard precautions. Many barriers can stand in the way; however, if we all act as good stewards of infection prevention with these facilities, we can take our part in the future of our healthcare facilities.

Devoting energy into making sure no steps are missed in the precautions against healthcare-associated infections should be a top priority for every organization in the industry.

17th June, 2019 Mark Galbraith Food Processing

5 Ways New Technology Can Help Your Production Process

With the growth of technology seeming to be limitless, we are always faced with the question: Are these advancements helping or hurting us?

Here are five ways that the food manufacturing process can benefit from digitization:

1. Improved Communication

As you know, communication is key. Preventing issues, misunderstandings, inaccuracies, and more within the food production process starts with proper communication between team members. The good news is, today’s technology makes many tools available for this to be an improved aspect within your operation, including software available to make sure messages are efficiently passed throughout your entire team without any time being wasted.

Along with internal communication, external communication is just as vital. Many customer-relationship management software are available to make sure you understand your consumers’ reactions to your products and can adjust your operation to optimize success, based on their demand.

2. Added Innovation

Digital tools can introduce new ways to go about your food production process. Drones, for example, can contribute greatly to precision agriculture—a way of using satellite imagery and GPS technology to monitor soil levels, weather patterns, and crop success. Another instance is the use of 3D printing, which can make more options available for your operation to be able to produce. The movement of “going green” has resulted in sustainable technology advancements, such as edible or bacteria-fighting packaging. Almost all of these innovations do not entirely replace the efforts of a human workforce, but rather give them more tools to work with to increase efficiency and safety efforts.

Even the concept of robotic machines can help in food production. In 2016, a tech company replaced certain cuts of their meats originally done by human workers with these machines to reduce the chances of severe workplace injury.

3. Enhanced Analytics

Recording data of your results is incredibly important when it comes to food production. Making sure standards are met and your products are of the highest quality is a top priority, and especially important when aiming for repeated achievements. Using data tools to show and analyze real-time numbers of your operation will help you stay on top of things and prevent any problems from leaving your facility.

4. Simplified Compliance

Tracking and tracing methods have improved with the growth of digital technology in the food production process. Hector Bonilla from SWK Technologies said, “Tainted products can be traced back to their package shipments, these shipments can be followed back to their point of origin, and the processing factors involved in production (such as the recipe data used) can be reviewed to prevent repeat incidents.” Make sure to see how the implementation of technology can ensure food safety and production efficiency.

5. Increased Profits

Not only do these tools prevent an expensive recall from happening (and the following possibility of brand reputation damage), they also reduce the extra use of any ingredients during the food production process with specific data to lessen the margin of any wasted time or materials. There are many ways you can get on board—consider digitizing various parts of your food production process today.

14th May, 2019 Mark Galbraith General Contracting

Do You Fall Victim to Believing in These Assumptions?

“Manufacturing is more than just putting parts together. It’s coming up with ideas, testing principles and perfecting the engineering, as well as final assembly.”
– James Dyson

People both inside and out of the manufacturing world may stumble upon a few beliefs regarding the industry that are actually far from reality. We’re here to deliver the truth—this process of “perfecting the engineering” and bringing ideas to life is actually a thriving universe in today’s society.

1. “The Manufacturing Industry Doesn’t Create Many Jobs”

On the contrary, this is one of the fastest growing industries in the country. Just in December alone of last year, 32,000 jobs were added, contributing to the 12.84 million positions available in manufacturing, a number that has only been reached before nearly five decades ago. MarketWatch added that in 2018, 264,000 new manufacturing jobs were added, representing the highest number of new workers since 1988. Manufacturing has risen for the first time since 1984 as a percentage of the nation’s entire workforce. Clearly, it’s on the rise.

2. “It’s Dangerous to Work in Manufacturing”

Due to technological advancements and increased safety measures, the risk of injury that comes with working in this industry has reduced in recent years. The rate of improvement for workplace injury rates have been significantly better for the manufacturing world than in the overall private sector. One of the largest improvements was the span from 1994 to 2012, where the rate decreased by two-thirds, according to the Manufacturing Institute.

3. “Robots Are Taking Over”

Yes, the talk you hear about the Internet of Things, augmented reality, smart machinery, and more, is real. But the most important thing to remember is that these technologies can’t fit into the world of manufacturing without the collaboration of people like you and me. Humans are the ones controlling these operations and are the link between these “robots” and their role in the industry. In essence, they help create even more types of jobs.

4. “R&D is a Minor Expense for American Manufacturing Companies”

Research and development (R&D) is an essential aspect within the operation of manufacturing companies. Andrew Keith from Cressall Resistors said, “Companies that use R&D investment as the main driver for progress are inclined to achieve better outcomes for investors and overall be more innovative than their competitors.” This industry in the U.S. actually spends more on R&D compared to the industry in any other country.

At Galbraith, Pre-Design, Inc., we understand the role of manufacturing and its longevity in our society. Contact us today for any help you may need with your operation.

7th April, 2019 Allan Galbraith Construction Process, General Contracting, Industrial

Properly Incorporate ADA Accessibility Standards into Your Next Construction or Renovation Project

When the Americans With Disability Act (ADA) was passed into law, it was a monumental step forward in making buildings accessible to all people, and it’s an integral part of commercial building design and construction projects.

The ADA Standards cover how to specifically implement safety and proper accessibility into each part of an establishment, whether it’s new construction or a renovation project. If you’re looking to alter your building or begin new construction, make sure to check these standards and safely include the following to make sure you’re on track with ADA compliance:

Safe flooring and ground surfaces
Entrances, doors and gates
Ramps
Elevators and platform lifts
Parking spaces
Passenger load zones
Stairways

Common Challenges while Striving for ADA Compliance

One of the most important parts of this process is making sure your contractor is familiar and reliable when it comes to ADA Standards. Going the extra mile, knowing all of the small details and inspecting every part of the structure that falls into the compliance category can make all the difference in your design build project. Hiring a contractor with both knowledge and experience with these standards, along with great communication skills, is a way to streamline and ensure your process will be on track.

A common problem that organizations face is the lack of understanding of the ongoing maintenance standards within ADA compliance. Lee Swinscoe from FacilitiesNet expresses the importance of all staff being aware of these standards, including cleaning and janitorial personnel:

“Cleaning staff or other employees should have a basic understanding of ADA design criteria so they are not inadvertently creating ADA compliance problems. If a trash can is pulled to the door, emptied, and left there, it can obstruct the door maneuvering clearance. Or if a hotel employee places a table against the wall in a meeting room to provide refreshments and doesn’t understand the need to provide a clear floor space for a wheelchair by the only house phone in the room, then this creates a compliance issue.”
– Lee Swinscoe, FacilitiesNet

Experienced Contractors at Your Disposal

It can be challenging to retrofit older buildings with elevators and other ADA compliant fixtures, but Galbraith has helped many clients find practical and affordable ways to upgrade their buildings. Currently, Galbraith is pleased to be a part of the construction to install elevators and other features to update two churches in making them accessible and ADA compliant.

It’s always satisfying to be a part of projects that make such positive improvements for the end-users of various structures. Contact Galbraith if your commercial or industrial building needs help with ADA accessibility updates.

10th March, 2019 admin Construction Process, Roofing Repair

Stop and Smell the Roses…On Your Roof

The commercial construction world is ever-changing and growing with innovations in the world of “green building.” Providing customers and companies with eco-friendly buildings can minimize environmental impacts. This form of construction is very vast and is privy to multiple ways to achieve being truly eco-friendly.

The “Green” Combination

One of these ways to achieve a minimal environmental impact is green roofing, or better known as a “living roof system.” A living roof system is made up of the following layers, from bottom to top:

A sheet metal roof with a drainage system laid on top
Cork or a peat moss planting grid
Plants dependent on the customer’s choice
- The variety ranges from low-maintenance and easily maintained plants to a designed landscape of multiple trees, shrubs and flowers.

Green Roofing Basics — Source: Rooftop Landscapes

A World of Benefits

One of the benefits stemming from a living roof is the potential economic return to the customer. Additionally, a living roof can provide extra insulation R-value to the building due to the vegetation blocking direct weather damage to the roof’s surface. Another benefit that is gaining popularity in the green industry is the use of the water drainage system that reduces the amount of storm water runoff around and from the building itself. According to Green Roofs for Storm water Runoff Control, a living roof system can reduce the storm water runoff by 80% per year.

My Plant Connection has an extensive list of all the benefits that come with installing a green roof system on a building. A company utilizing a green roof has the opportunity to apply for a “green roof tax credit. ”Various tax credit legislations makes for possible credits available to the owners.

As the world in its whole becomes more environmentally friendly and conscious, the commercial and residential construction community is steadily joining the effort. By creating, designing and installing these green living roof systems, we can better our quality of life while having much less of an impact on the environment itself.

1st February, 2019 Mark Galbraith Food Processing

Breaking Down The Importance of Eliminating Contamination

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics,reducing foodborne illness by just 1 percent would keep roughly 500,000 Americans from getting sick every year.It’s all in the details—making sure every step of the food production process avoids any chance of contamination can go a long way. Food safety certifications can significantly help with this mission.

If you haven’t considered acquiring new food safety certifications for your business, here are a few of the accompanying benefits that you’d be able to take advantage of if you did:

Your reputation conveys your dedication to the industry. To consumers, employees, or key stakeholders, putting in the work to attain additional certifications is a vital way of showing that your business sector is devoted to good governance, corporate responsibility, quality production, and contribution towards improving the industry.
Consumers are demanding higher safety standards due to food recalls. Your company would hold a competitive advantage over others in the field, especially in the eyes of the consumer, as awareness of food production safety grows with every announcement of a food recall.
Your production can achieve greater quality. The advantages are not all external. Implementing systems into your operation that are compliant with safety certifications will assist with the actual consistency and quality of production.
Your liability remains an important factor. It’s true that some insurance companies will only provide coverage for food sector businesses with safety certifications such as HACCP.

Regarding the construction side of things specifically, EAD Engineering listed what to look for when selecting the construction company for a food processing plant. Several of the key factors included food safety certifications acquired by many leaders within the company.

Implementing Safety on All Fronts

EAD Engineering also specified some of the steps involved in food processing that reduces contamination during construction. These are similar to many requirements of food safety certifications. They include:

Train contractors through recognized programs.
Develop safety checklists.
Pre-plan workloads.
Identify which areas within the plant require certain levels of protection.
Implement enclosures and hygienic segregation.
Continuously sanitize personnel, equipment, and materials.
Control fumes and odors from vehicles and materials.
Designate specific routes for materials to travel through.
Prioritize the processes of testing and cleanup.

For a free guide on food safety during construction, click here.

15th January, 2019 Mark Galbraith Food Processing, Industrial

Joining the debate regarding a growing operating trend in cold storage facilities

Some call it the “unsung hero.” Others aren’t so sure. Electric pallet trucks are quickly becoming an industry norm across cold storage facilities, but are they a worthwhile investment for you?

Incorporating this type of equipment into your daily operation and using it to replace manual pallet trucks must include careful consideration and research. Each refrigerated and frozen food warehouse facility should understand the benefits and downsides that come with using electric pallet trucks to decide if implementation is the best solution for their facility.

The good news first

Steve Harris, from Refrigerated and Frozen Foods, states that these devices can greatly increase productivity. Here are a few of the reasons why:

Safe operations—avoiding the “Electric slide”: Safety is always of utmost importance. In cold storage environments, floors can be slick and aisles can have limited space. Some of the available electric pallet trucks offer more durable materials in their build, contributing to a physically safer operation on these surfaces. Additionally, there are often settings on these trucks, such as speed and acceleration, which can be adjusted to meet each different operator’s skill level.
Operator Comfort: The operators in a fast-paced cold storage facility must find and use ways to work in ergonomically-correct fashions. Using an electric pallet truck reduces fatigue with features such as power steering and supportive grips, so the operators are less likely to take shortcuts in their form while working.
Connectivity: Harris says, “It’s one thing to view the pallet truck as a machine that moves product throughout the facility. It’s another view to see it as a connected, mobile information technology hub. When considered through the latter lens, facility managers see real opportunities for improvements and avoid time guessing at possible solutions.” A forklift fleet and operator management system can sync and share information regarding battery life, impact history, truck utilization, OSHA compliance, service needs, and more, with several versions of electric pallet trucks.

There’s always a “but…”

There are a few challenges that are presented when considering electric pallet trucks for a facility, including:

Temperature limitations: It’s important to know that the battery and any battery heater of an electric pallet truck is capable of reliably withstanding the lowest temperature found within your facility. Additionally, don’t forget to consider humidity, along with temperature—the electronics must be protected and capable of withstanding harsh environments.
Charging Stations: Installation of charging stations for electric pallet trucks in an important consideration. Oftentimes, in retrofit situations, it can be challenging to find a convenient place to charge a pallet truck without it interfering with workflow. It’s also essential for these stations to be located in an area which doesn’t violate any food safety regulations: Remember to consider cross contamination.
Structural Damage: Is your racking system up-to-date and modernized to withstand the use of an electric pallet truck? The operators of a pallet truck naturally may run into things within your facility. The racking system is likely in danger of suffering from this, while operators are using the pallet trucks to pull and place skids of product. Make sure that your racking is properly bolted to the floor, braced adequately and all parts installed correctly and intact.
Higher Costs: Aside from the physical limitations, electric pallet trucks can be expensive. Your budget must not only accommodate for the initial purchasing cost, but the ongoing expenses involving repairs and maintenance to their specialized operating systems.

So, if you’re deciding between sticking with the traditional manual pallet trucks versus jumping on board with electric trucks, first evaluate and analyze your cold storage facility’s needs, services, environment, budget, and structure to see what suits your needs the best.

8th December, 2018 Mark Galbraith Food Processing

Recent conference reveals new food safety recommendations

“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.” – William A. Foster

In the food industry, being SQF certified is important across all parts of production, especially when it comes to construction. SQF stands for “Safe Quality Food,” and is a food management certification scheme created by the SQF Institute. With an average of a one-year implementation process, the rigorous requirements of this certification prove to be a well-recognized way of maintaining the safety of the products and devices that companies in this industry use. Ultimately, the end goal is to make sure that the process of food production is safe from beginning to end.

The benefits that come with this certification are significant. Some of them include:

You can better manage the risks associated with food safety, as a team. Implementing this system into your environment will strengthen your entire operation. Ingrid Sweeney, from Industrial Packaging challenges you to ask look at your organization with a new perspective and ask yourself who the one responsible for food safety is. “Well, actually it’s everyone. Each employee needs to understand how they can impact safe practices,” she says.
You can prove your dedication to the industry. The SQF certification is a heavily involved process, and rightfully so. When it comes to being a part of the food production industry, you must be completely transparent in your efforts to provide quality products for consumers.
You can become part of a worldwide movement. As stated previously, this certification is well-recognized. Join the international strides towards safe food handling. Ingrid Sweeney says, “Thousands of companies in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and in Asia have received the certification–it’s a big deal.”

SQF and the Construction Industry

In late October, the SQF International Conference revealed a significant relationship between safe food production and construction. It was discovered and presented that in 2017, 50% of the top 10 minor non-conformances and 20% of the top 10 major non-conformances were related to construction. For 2018, the numbers improved only slightly. 30% of the minor non-conformances and (still) 20% of the major non-conformances were construction-related.

When comparing and contrasting 2017 and 2018, the SQF Institute found that plants still have physical challenges, especially floors, walls, and ceilings posing a risk to the product or process.

One of the major recommendations from the Institute to prevent non-conformances involves HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) team refresher training. Define explicitly by the FDA, this is “a management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement, and handling, to manufacturing, distribution, and consumption of the finished product.”

Other recommendations included the use of:

A preventative maintenance schedule
A plant improvement plan system
A system for temporary repairs
A review of Critical Control Points (CCPs)

At Galbraith, we are proud to say that we are both SQF and HACCP certified. We understand the significance and responsibility that comes with the intersection of construction/maintenance and the food production industry. Many of the recommendations from the SQF Institute relate directly to our line of work, so we are here to do our part and make sure the standards for food safety never drop below top notch. Our experience fits with William A. Foster’s philosophy: Quality is never an accident.

26th November, 2018 Mark Galbraith Construction Process, General Contracting

How modular construction is proving a worthwhile investment

Greener. Faster. Smarter. Modular construction is the new norm. Creating and constructing parts of a building or the entire structure itself on the site can be muddy, cold, wasteful, and inconvenient, to name a few. However, taking this task indoors, in a controlled and spacious environment, provides not only a better experience for the worker but a better product in much less time. Doing so is known as modular construction. The Modular Building Institute created this graphic to show the time that is saved by this form of construction.

The Institute also expands on how modular construction can benefit the environment, the building process, and the quality of the result:

Greener:

Increased flexibility and reuse. The buildings can be disassembled and relocated to meet a different need for the company. This reduces the disposal of functioning materials and demands for new ones, as well as replaces the energy needed to construct an entirely new project.
Reduced material waste. In a controlled facility, the inventory for construction materials is protected from weather elements and used more efficiently to distribute materials.
Better air quality. Once again, being out of all uncontrollable weather elements ensures that the materials will be kept dry and free of trapped moisture.

Faster:

Reduced schedule. Since site and foundation development can occur at the same time as the building construction, projects can be completed between 30-50% quicker.
ROI comes sooner. Weather delays many traditional construction projects, getting in the way of a company’s return-on-investment.

Smarter:

Safer construction. Building projects in these controlled environments reduce the risks of accidents and liabilities for a company’s workers.
Increased structural security. Generally, since modular construction projects have to withstand transportation, they are stronger and more structurally sound than traditional projects.
Indistinguishable aesthetics. Even though construction takes place away from the construction site, it will still match the overall design of the project.

Going (and growing) modular

The popularity of modular construction is on the rise. The Modular Building Institute’s Permanent Modular Construction Annual Report revealed that it accounted for 3.18% of the value of new commercial construction in 2016. The goal of the overall industry is to reach 5% of the commercial construction market share by 2022. Additionally, contractors who use modular construction (which amounts to about 35% of contractors in the U.S. who implement these techniques) on more than half of their projects are more effective throughout the building process than those who aren’t.

Triax Technologies says, “Google, Starbucks, Marriott, and even tech companies like Autodesk, are betting big on offsite construction, investing hundreds of millions of dollars into the method,” regarding the nation’s overall investment in modular. Galbraith is also joining these efforts.

Our company has a history of pre-fabricating items in our shop or other indoor locations before taking these items to a job site. Some of these items include:

concrete forms
rebar mats and canes
steel assemblies
door assemblies
ceiling panels

We are currently working on fabricating modular structures indoors for a highly-complex cold storage industrial project. In this case, weather delays, access, and safety were the main drivers in our decision to go modular. These, plus a forward-thinking and innovative customer/owner. It’s always satisfying to work for an owner who is a visionary.

Some progress photos of this project are below. Check back in the future for time-lapse photography and drone footage of this latest project!

5th November, 2018 Mark Galbraith General Contracting, Roofing Repair

A quality-built metal roof will save money and last for decades

It’s no secret that the metal roofing industry is booming, and it is expected to continue its booming growth through the foreseeable future. Metal roofs have been the #1 choice for non-residential construction since they first arrived on the scene, and this is no surprise. They last much longer than other roofing materials without needing to be replaced. In fact, it is common that before a metal roof requires work, the building’s trims, gutters, and downspouts will need to be replaced. When it comes to metal roofing, we’ve inspected roofs built over 50 years ago, and they’re still performing like new!

The success of metal roofing, however, goes hand-in-hand with their quality. It is critically important not only to have an expert installation but to employ a company that you know uses the best materials available. Metal roofs made of inferior materials can cause lots of problems, from leaking and rusting to breakage and other damage that requires speedy repair.

Metal roofs are commonly made of:

Steel
Copper
Aluminum
Zinc

While each of these materials has unique benefits, they all offer long-lasting durability. In addition, they help to cool the roof and produce energy-saving qualities, protect against fires, and, when installed correctly, don’t corrode, crack or become damaged.

At Galbraith, we not only focus on using the best materials to provide the best possible outcomes, but we also believe that a superior roof needs to be part of an entire system. Your roofing system should include all fasteners, flashings and building components and your installer should ensure that they’ve been designed to work together effectively. While anyone can put on metal roofing, it takes experience and dedication to quality to understand the workings of a properly engineered system and to install it with care. This is difficult to find, and it’s something we pride ourselves on possessing.

We are part of the builder network for NCI, which is currently named #1 as a “major key player” in the industry by the Global Metal Roofing Market, and we’re proud of this position. The report researches the metal roofing market as well as its global outlook and its outlook across major regions, from the angles of manufacturers, types of products offered, end industries and locations.

If you’re in need of a metal roof for your business or facility, reach out at any time to discuss your options. We will help answer questions and work to be sure that you receive a roof that is dependable and lasting.